Community Hearing for Lariat Lodge Zoning Issues on November 14th

There is a community hearing November 14th at 6:30pm at Evergreen Community Christian Church about a zoning issue at Lariat Lodge. The Lariat Lodge put out a petition asking supporters to sign to save their outdoor Bark Garten that has been closed by Jeffco.

However, the other side of the story appears to be that neighbors around the restaurant have been contending with what they say are violations by Lariat Lodge in adding onto their outdoor space and operating it without proper approval (which has also led to the restaurant having inadequate parking available for the number of tables they now have), building structures without permits, and adding concerts/live music in which musicians are playing above the maximum decibels allowed (one person said he has measured 70 decibels inside his home during a concert, maximum permitted in a residential area after 7pm is 50 decibels).


A neighbor that we spoke with said that all the neighbors have dogs and love dogs, allowing pets at the outdoor space isn't the issue and the restaurant is simply using that to gain support. They want to see Lariat Lodge succeed, but they want the issues of the increased traffic that speeds dangerously through their neighborhood addressed, and the noise mitigated. They've taken measurements of both and have shared that data with Planning & Zoning which is why the outdoor space was closed and this zoning hearing is scheduled on November 14th at 6:30pm at Evergreen Community Christian Church. 27772 Iris Dr. Evergreen, CO 80439.

After learning all of this, we encourage you all to attend the zoning hearing and find out more for yourselves as to the actual issues at hand. We agree that we want to see our local businesses succeed, but not at the expense of the well-being of those who live in the neighborhood in which the business is located. We all have to operate within the county regulations and should be considerate neighbors, particularly when it comes to lighting and loud noise.

Jeffco Noise Ordinance: www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/357/No...Abatement-Policy-PDF
Sound from a non-vehicular source located in a residential zone, shall not exceed the following limits:
7:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M. 55 dB(A)
7:00 P.M. until 7:00 A.M. of the same day of the following day 50 dB(A)

Neighbors discuss traffic, noise issues on Lariat Lodge rezoning

Because of a zoning glitch, Lariat Lodge in Evergreen needs to rezone its property to continue to use its outdoor seating areas, and at a community meeting on Thursday, neighbors pledged to work together to find solutions to their differences with the brewpub so that it can continue to operate.

They asked owner Anders Ruikka to spearhead a discussion with Jefferson County transportation officials to find ways to slow traffic on Iris and Fireweed drives that lead to Lariat Lodge because the volume and speed of the traffic have become a huge safety concern.

They also asked Ruikka to lower the volume of bands that play outside in the summer or to do away with outdoor performances altogether, and to quiet the exhaust fan.

Of the roughly 80 people who attended the community meeting, about half were neighbors and half were supporters of the brewpub.

Ruikka said the rezoning must take place because Lariat Lodge has been using its decks and an outside seating area that has allowed dogs — known as the Bark Garten — when those areas weren’t zoned for commercial use.

“We weren’t aware we were in violation,” Ruikka told the crowd at Evergreen Christian Church.

Read more here: www.canyoncourier.com/content/neighbors-...ariat-lodge-rezoning
By Deb Hurley Brobst
Tuesday, November 19, 2019